Audio gear is trickier.
There’s no clear-cut metric to use as a guideline if you’re shopping for a sound card.
I fall into that category.
I’ve never had anything except onboard sound and my knowledge of acoustics couldn’t fill a thimble.
From that position, buying a sound card has always felt more like a gamble than an investment.
But I mean, just how much better can music, movies and games sound?
Enough to prevent buyer’s remorse?
…buying a sound card has always felt more like a gamble than an investment.
To be clear, this isn’t an in-depth look at the Xonar DX or any other product.
Everything is simply duller.
Sharp voices and instruments sound muted and increasing the volume doesn’t help.
The heavy bass shortly thereafter is also lacking enough oomph that I can literally feel the difference.
If I listen closely enough, the above findings are true across artists, genres and bitrates.
The Xonar sounds more substantial in seemingly every song, game or movie.
It’s not purely about higher highs and lower lows.
The discrete audio is more convincing.
…but the more I listened the less I questioned whether the Xonar sounded better.
This is at least partly because everything sounds more open.
It’s easier to visualize myself in the middle of a large, dynamic environment.
The limitations of my onboard chip are particularly noticeable inTeam Fortress 2.
What about XYZ…?
You mean you didn’t configure the software?!
I care about audio quality, but not enough to tweak an equalizer between genres or media types.
What about cheaper headphones or speakers?
Get with it…
I stream all of my music!
Okay, so how much does bitrate matter?
I’m not sure.
Either way, I’m sticking with MP3s for now.
Did it take long to switch between devices?
Only a few seconds passed between hearing each output.
Your frame rates must be off the charts now!
If they are, I haven’t noticed.
Far Cry 2 and Dirt 3 didn’t benefit either, though neither are CPU-intensive.
Should my PC have a sound card?
That’s still debatable.
Even if you have ahigh-end GeForceand anuber fast 1TB SSD, you might simply not care about audio quality.
The sounds from my integrated chip bleed together.
Should you buy a sound card?
Maybe not, but I think the average enthusiast rig deserves one.
But I also wouldn’t want to spend another decade without it.
